The Townsend’s Solitaire breeds in the mountains of western North America, where it is best monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). BBS results indicate little overall change or perhaps a small decrease in population since the early 1970s, although data are sparse in the northern portion of the species’ breeding range. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The Townsend’s Solitaire prefers open forests. The species also winters in open habitats with abundant berries, particularly juniper woodlands, but also in suburban and rural gardens (Bowen 1997). Wintering Townsend’s Solitaire were found to be resilient to development in suburban areas, likely exploiting resources found in and around human settlements (Miller et al. 2017).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.